Ex-Nemesis

CHAPTER 15: IS THAT YOU?

Nico gasped awake.

He felt someone grasp him by the shoulders, "hey! Hey, it's okay... you're okay..."

Blonde locks filled his vision. Blue eyes glanced down at him worriedly.

Nico took several deep breaths to calm himself, his hand flying to his gut, his ribs throbbing lightly with phantom pains.

As he calmed himself down, he took stock of the situation.

They were still in the old abandoned warehouse. Nico's limbs were sore from exhaustion (A/N: I wasn't looking where I was typing and accidently typed 'exgaystion') and he felt drained.

But all this info paled in the light of his most recent discovery, which was the considerably comfortable pillow on which his head was resting.

Nico's eyes widened as he realized who this 'pillow' was and shot upright.

To this he was just using Sunshot's lap as a cushion...

*Shudders*

"Hey-" Sunshot started, but Nico pointedly ignored him, scooting up to the wall, putting as much distance between the two of them as possible. He was thankful for his mask, which hid the creeping pink blush.

They stared at each other in silence, or well... Sunshot was the only one who stared. Nico did his level best to avoid the said stare.

It took Nico several minutes to grunt out, "what happened?"

"You passed out," Will explained, then added quietly, "and... I think you had a nightmare..."

The hell, he did.

"Did I..." Nico started.

"Scream?" Will offered helpfully, and at Nico's hesitant nod, said, "no, but you seemed restless."

No one spoke for a minute. Then Sunshot decided to break the silence, "who's Hazel?"

"How do you-?"

"You said her name once, in your sleep..."

Well, shit.

Nico let out a breath, "I think... it's time I explain... you got roped into this mess, so you deserve to know..."

Sunshot gazed at him expectantly, and gestured with his hand, "go on."

"I used to have two sisters, one was shot, she died... the other... got kidnapped..."

Will's eyebrows shot up.

"We were young, and I... I did nothing to stop it from happening... I just froze up and-"

"Hey-" Sunshot started gently.

"No, let me finish talking!"

Will clammed up immediately, nodding silently.

Nico drew another breath, he said too much. He should be statistic about this, not emotional.

Just relay him the facts, Nico, not your emotions!

"Anyway, the police couldn't find her, so they closed her case. But I believed she was alive, and I wanted to find her. So when I discovered my powers I... started looking for her. I checked every single house, every work place, every construction site."

Sunshot hmmed in realization, "so that's what you were looking for... your sister..."

Nico nodded, "then a few weeks ago, Paragon appeared... and she's her... her name's Hazel... She's my sister."

"Are you sure?"

"Yes, I'd recognize those eyes from a thousand miles away."

"But she accused you of killing her brother?"